It was still three hours before Thursday’s game vs. the A’s and Edwin Encarnacion sat quietly in front of his locker, directly across from where he had first donned the Jays uniform in a deadline deal for Scott Rolen on July 31, 2009.

Encarnacion is appreciative of the long, successful journey he has taken since then, from being a Reds contract dump on the Jays, a third baseman whose big problem was throwing across the diamond, to now being questioned about his potential all-star intentions.

No doubt Encarnacion deserves to go to the All-Star Game in Minneapolis on July 15. He is among the AL leaders in home runs, but unfortunately is listed on the fan ballot as a DH, up against the ever-popular David Ortiz and O’s home run leader Nelson Cruz.

If Encarnacion had been listed at first base, the task would have been equally daunting. He would have had the obstacles of Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and sensational Cuban rookie Jose Abreu of the White Sox. The voting period ended Thursday evening, so he may have to rely on the goodwill of AL manager John Farrell and the MLB office, or perhaps the last-minute fan ballot that saw Steve Delabar make it to the Midsummer Classic last year. Truth be told, Edwin doesn’t even care if he goes.

“I don’t even think about that,” Encarnacion said with obvious sincerity. “Right now I have plans to go home (to the Dominican) and rest. At least I go to the game one time (last year) and I got to know how the all-star game is. But right now, if I go, I go. If I don’t, I’d like to go home and rest. Rest four days is going to be great for me. If I have to go, I go.”

Encarnacion had been thinking about his All-Star Game decision for a while, but admits it didn’t take him nearly that long to turn down an invitation from teammate and friend, AL home run derby captain Jose Bautista, to participate in the popular power competition on Monday at Target Field.

“I tell him right away, I say no,” Encarnacion emphasized. “It’s too much swinging in the home run derby. I got to experience it from outside (at Citi Field in 2013) and I see those guys, how they swing. It’s too much swinging. For me, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

The bottom line is a personal choice. Encarnacion knows he might not get another chance to be in this position playing for a Jays team still clinging to first place, needing all hands on deck for the second half. After all the personal injuries, nicks and scratches he has battled in the last few years, Edwin knows his hands must be healthy for, truly, his most important goal for 2014.

“That’s why I’d like to rest,” Encarnacion said. “We need to come back strong for the second half. Everybody (in the division) is close, so we need to step up and keep playing like the way we’ve been playing, winning a lot of games. Right now, we are where we want to be, first place, and make the playoffs. We’ve got to continue that for the second half and come on strong.”

Speaking of all hands on deck, on Thursday Colby Rasmus was sidelined from the starting lineup reporting to manager John Gibbons that he had rolled his right wrist making a play in the outfield on Wednesday. And with Bautista once again restricted to DH duties, Encarnacion, for the second game in a row, was patrolling the unfamiliar position of left field, where he has played four major-league games, a total of 27 innings, with just three putouts. He feels a call to duty.

“It was easy because I want to win,” Encarnacion said of his brief office meeting with Gibbons and Bautista after Tuesday’s game. “I want to get Adam Lind in the lineup, so that’s the way to get Adam Lind to play first. When Jose comes back things will return to normal and we can continue to do what we’ve been doing. That’s what it’s all about. Win games, win games. That’s what it’s about.”

Gibbons recalled the hastily arranged meeting in his office with his two star sluggers.

“I brought them in, we said we were trying to figure out how to do this,” Gibbons said. “They told me he had played some left field. I said you got any problem playing left field? He said, ‘I’m good.’ Whatever we can do to get Lindy in the lineup, that’s the kind of guy he is. I said left or right. He said I like left better. He didn’t have any balls hit to him which is unusual. But this is a big-ass outfield.”

Gibbons then offered his opinion on the potential honour of Encarnacion being possibly nominated to his second straight game, along with Bautista, who is a mortal lock in fan balloting.

“It would be a nice honour for him,” Gibbons said. “I know it’s kind of taxing on those guys a little, but he’s earned it. Both those guys earned that.”

The final word belongs to Encarnacion, who if he’s not named by the fans or on the players’ ballot might let the MLB office know that he’s not interested and request to let him have his four days.

“That would be all right,” Encarnacion said, simply.

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